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A Night of Percussion

April 22, 2014 - 8:00 pm

Old Cabell Hall

Free

The University of Virginia's McIntire Department of Music presents "A Night of Percussion," featuring the U.Va. Percussion Ensemble, directed by I-Jen Fang on Tuesday, April 22, 2014 in Old Cabell Hall. The concert is free and open to the public.

The UVa Night of Percussion concert features guest artist, Kevin Davis, and the UVa Percussion Ensemble directed by I-Jen Fang. Davis plans on bringing a little Latin tinge to UVa. He will expose the students at UVa and the audience to music that is rarely found outside of nightclubs bustling with dancers and urban socialites. One of the programmed pieces, Bien Sabroso, was written by world famous Latin Percussionist and recording artist Poncho Sanchez. Bien Sabroso is a cha-cha that has become a standard amongst Latin-Jazz musicians and listeners alike. Davis will also solo with the ensemble on his own Latin style arrangement of a famous tune by Beethoven, Fur Elise and invites everyone to experience a touch of the South American Way.

Native New Yorker Kevin Davis began his music career studying music theory and percussion while growing up in the multicultural communities of New York City. After studying abroad in Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and Jamaica, he relocated to Virginia’s capital city. He keeps the music close to his heart while playing with many national artists and directing Ban Caribe.

BAN CARIBE is an exciting blend of Afro-Cuban, Latin, Caribbean and Soulful Rhythm and Blues, all held together with pulsating percussion. The musical compositions and arrangements are spiritually inspired by the rhythmic beats and chants of African music. Our music is coined “CLAVE SOUL” it is Soulful, Sophisticated, Universal, and Unique. My interpretation of “Clave Soul” is the replacement of the traditional drum set of Rock and Roll with the Latin percussion ensemble of timbales, congas, bongos, maracas, and claves. The strumming of the guitar cords spices it up, and the harmonic chants, fortifies the groove.

“I was inspired to create the ‘Clave Soul’ sound from listening to the Rhythm & Blues of Sam Cooke, and the Salsa music of Tito Puente & Eddie Palmeri. The Drum song, which is one of my original compositions, illustrates the story of how the spirit of the ‘Tambor/Drum’ talked to me. Music is a part of my heritage, soul, heart, and blood. The clave rhythms are connected to my soul. I was affectionately given the name ‘Babatunde’ by a music associate. The name means ‘The Father Returns.’ I love the partnership of Latin & R & B, because it's in perfect harmony, and it makes the music all so smooth.”

Kevin is the Director and founder of the Ashbury United Methodist Church Youth Drum Ministry, Cofounder of the World Beat Workshop, a guest artist with the Virginia Commission of the Arts & Young Audiences of Learning, and a member of the music ministry at Ashbury United Methodist Church.

The UVa Percussion Ensemble will perform works by Mark Ford, Eckhard Kopetzki, Stephen Rush, Brian Simalchik, and a world premiere by Craig Hunter: An Introduction to the Percussion Ensemble with narration, narrating by Ilon Weeldreyer.

The UVa Percussion Ensemble is a chamber ensemble that performs literature from classical transcriptions to contemporary music. The ensemble draws upon a large family of pitched and non-pitched percussion instruments. The number of players and equipments varies greatly from piece to piece.